Scene 3: The living room, everyone is upset, dad and mom standing over Junior, little sister is sitting on the couch quietly, grandfather is standing in the doorway smoking his pipe.
Dad: “How many times have I told you to wait for me and to not go too far?”
Mom: “Son, you could have really hurt someone and you were such a surprise that you put one guy in the ditch.”
Son: with angry tears in his eyes and clenched fists – “I know I shouldn’t have, I know. He keeps telling me, ‘Wait, just wait.’ Wait for what. I just feel like if I don’t get away I’m gonna bust!”
Mom: “We know son but that was not being responsible. Listen to your dad now.”
Dad: “The wood pile, move it and re-stack it over by the barn on the north-west corner of the chicken coop.”
Son: “I hate that punishment, you can…” mom interrupts him.
Mom: “Son… that’s enough, listen to your father.”
Son: hoping for someone to be in his corner he looks to his little sister but she only hugs her doll and looks at the floor, then he turns and looks at grandfather but grandfather only stares right at him and… stands still. He hates it when he does that. He’s in the wrong and he knows it. He gets up to go move the wood pile.
Dad: “Please don’t slam the door on your way out.”
Son: exits stage left.
Sister: “I don’t like it when we yell.” mom answers as she exits the living room into the kitchen.
Mom: “I know sweety, but he could have hurt someone.”
Dad: “I’ll be out in the garage.” also exits stage left.
Grandfather: moves into the living room and sits down in his favorite old chair and calls little sister over by him and picks her up. She loves the way he smells. She always feels better too when she sits and talks with him and now would be no different.
Sister: “To-Attito, why is Junior so angry lately?”
Grandfather: “Well, partly, I think some of it has to do with everyone calling him Junior.”
Sister: “But that’s his name.”
Grandfather: “I know dear but he’s at that age where he doesn’t feel like a Junior any more.”
Sister: “Like when I pretend to be a rose, all grown up and big, but then I wanna just be me again.”
Grandfather: “Yes little one, something like that.”
Cut to the son:
Son: wearing a blue denim work jacket with a white wool collar and his favorite cowboy hat marches out into the leaf littered backyard near the barn and chicken coop and wood pile and with a bit of contention left in his voice says,
Son: “He didn’t tell me HOW I had to move it.” as he grabs his childhood little red wagon and starts to angrily throw the fire wood into it.
Meanwhile, in the garage – cut to garage…
Mom: “Here’s a cold drink and sandwich for lunch, I know your going to be a bit, working out here.”
Dad: “I suppose you think I still need to take him this week?”
Mom: “Now more than ever.” she turns away and closes the garage entry door quietly and dad is left standing there placing his lunch on the work bench.
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